Lies
by AVioletQueen
Summary: Based on the manga. She's a normal girl with a normal life with absolutely no trauma. He's a normal boy with a normal life with absolutely no drama. And they have absolutely no connection. At all. What a pack of Lies.
1. Chapter 1

**Warning: rated for drug use and swearing.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Ouran and receive no profit from this fanfiction.**

"Get an Oshiro Plus for $79.99 or an Oshiro Touch for $129.99 now, while supplies last!" The announcer said cheerfully as two cellphones were displayed on the screen.

"Tamaki, will you turn the TV off?" Haruhi asked from the kitchen where she was making breakfast.

"But this is work, Haruhi! I've taken Advertising as a class, remember?"

"That doesn't mean you can watch advertisements every moment in the day! And please, change the channel if the Oshiro ad comes up. One more time, and I swear…" The brunette sighed as her boyfriend lowered the volume but continued to watch. "Why does that ad even show up so much?" she muttered to herself under her breath.

"They've been losing quite a lot of money, especially after the founder died unexpectedly about 9 months ago. It won't be a surprise if the company goes bankrupt."

Haruhi jumped and almost swore out loud. "Kyouya-senpai… stop sneaking into my apartment! It's bad enough having Tamaki pop in all the time!" She paused, glaring at the tall man standing beside her, then frowned in confusion. "How do you have my key, anyway?"

"I had Tamaki's key copied," he said casually, taking a sip of coffee from a thermos.

The brunette sighed, then tilted her head, looking at the metal cup. "I didn't know you drank coffee. Would you like some breakfast?"

"No, thank you. And yes, it's the only way I can wake up at 5:00 in the morning," he informed her, his lips pressed together in a grim line.

"When did you go to sleep, senpai?" she asked exasperatedly.

"It doesn't matter," he said offhandedly. Haruhi glared at him and he raised his eyebrows. "Yes?"

"Tell me."

"4:30. And I thought Iwas supposed to be the mother?"

"That's not healthy!" she said, throwing her arms up in the air.

"The eggs are going to burn."

"And why do you have to wake up that early?" she asked as she turned off the stove and put the scrambled eggs onto separate plates.

"I've enrolled in a 6:00 World Economies class."

"I hope it's interesting enough for you to be wasting your precious sleeping time for it."

"It is, no doubt."

The two walked into the living room where Tamaki's eyes were glued to the screen as he rapidly took notes.

"Hello, idiot." Kyouya tapped him lightly on the top of his head as Haruhi gave him his plate.

"Mon ami!" The blonde cried out as his friend sat down in a chair. "Bonjour! What are you doing here?"

"I thought I'd stop by - I had some free time after class." Answering Haruhi's confused expression, he went on. "Hunny and Mori are in class right now and the smell of paint and glue in the twins' apartment is nauseating."

"We were you last choice?" The Frenchman asked, his eyes wide and teary.

Kyouya shrugged. "Whenever you're ready, we can head to class."

Tamaki sullenly finished off his breakfast and dropped the plate in the sink as Haruhi and Kyouya made pleasant small talk. He stooped to briefly kiss Haruhi's temple, then straightened and headed for the door. "C'mon Kyouya, let's go!" he said, enthusiastic again. "Good bye, Haruhi! See you later!" His blushing girlfriend waved as the two headed out the door.

* * *

><p>"Class dismissed." The professor clapped his hands and the room was filled with the noises of people getting up and moving towards the door. Tamaki and Kyouya left the classroom, discussing the day's topic as they headed down the long hallway to the grassy courtyard.<p>

"Oi, Japs!" A heavily accented voice called in English. The two turned and found a tall girl leisurely heading towards them. Though her voice suggested that she was British, her looks leaned a bit towards Japanese. She had the thin, jet-black hair of an Asian, but large blue eyes of a Westerner.

"Is there something you need?" The tall, dark-haired boy asked.

"Just wanted to introduce myself to a couple of people from home. The name's Kuri Masachika. And you?"

"Kyouya Ootori," he said briefly.

"Kuri?" The blonde asked, thinking hard. Suddenly, his face seemed to brighten and he pointed excitedly at the girl.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?"

"It's me, Tamaki Suoh!" he protested, gesturing wildly at himself.

"Oh…" Recognition lit in her eyes. "Suoh. It's been a hell of a long time."

"Ten years, I think!" he told her excitedly.

"Eleven," she corrected. "Well, just wanted to say hi. Rather bizarre to be seeing two Japs here all of a sudden, but nice."

"Oh, we know more! There are six of us! And then Haruhi, but she's the only girl."

Kuri raised her eyebrows. "Seven of you? Seven Japs all of a sudden decided to come to the US of A?"

"Yeah, well, we came to support Haruhi. My girlfriend!" Tamaki explained as Kyouya gave him a long look.

"Let me get this straight. You all uprooted yourselves for a girl?" Kuri asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Of course!" the blonde answered.

"And said girl… is your girlfriend."

"Yup!"

"Dude, I'd watch out. Sounds like you've got a ton of competition."

"But of course, Haruhi is my beautiful love, and no one would- no one would…" Tamaki looked to Kyouya for backup, and the other boy sighed.

"No one would dare steal her from you, Tamaki," he responded dully.

"Haruhi…?" Kuri asked, waiting for a last name.

"Haruhi Fujioka-to-be-Suoh, of course."

"Fujioka… As in… someone who's not famous?"

"She is a commoner and proud of it! She's introduced me to a whole new world of pet shops and mass production, and the greatest-" Tamaki struck a dramatic pose, "commoner's coffee!"

"…. Good luck with your relationship, Suoh. That's all I'll say. Don't kill me." Kuri held her hands up, then stuck them back in her pocket.

Kyouya coughed as he continued what he had been doing for the past few minutes; scrutinizing the girl. She was wearing a large white t-shirt, much too large to fit her properly, and skinny blue jeans. Her baggy jacket hid features of any sort that she might have had, and her sleeves were rolled up to above her elbows. Though she was tall, her body was too thin to be admired. Her hands looked as breakable as glass and her cheekbones almost jutted out of her face.

"An Ootori and a Suoh…" she mused. "So who are your friends?"

"The Hitachiin twins, Mitsukuni Haninozuka and his cousin, Takashi Morinozuka," Kyouya informed her.

"I feel so eclipsed by the shadows of your families' accomplishments." Kuri chuckled shortly, brazenly.

"But you're influential too! Your father wouldn't have worked with mine otherwise, and then we'd have never met!"

"Not so much influential as lucky. We Masachikas are gamblers to the core. The stock market is our little pet."

"Is that so?"

"Don't be getting any ideas, Ootori. Not only are we gamblers, but we also keep our secrets."

"So why don't the two of us - native Japanese citizens - know about your family?" Kyouya asked calmly.

Kuri took one hand out of her pocket and drew a short line in the air. "Generations ago, some Masachika decided he liked England instead of Japan. Hence, I look like a mutt. Mum is pure English, but dad is Japanese."

"Don't call yourself a mutt, princess. You're truly gorgeous," Tamaki professed, offering her a rose.

"Mmm, yeah, right. Thanks." The sarcasm, thank goodness, was lost on the blonde. However, Kuri did accept the red flower, tucking it carefully into her book bag. "So, I'll be seeing you guys around the campus, huh? Pleasure meeting you." As she spoke, she casually pulled out a pack of cigarettes and lit one, bringing it to her mouth to rest in between her lips.

The boys hesitated, then Kyouya started warily. "… Miss Masachika-"

"A habit I started ages ago, and I _can't kick it_. If you have a problem with it, I'll refrain from smoking in front of you. Sorry, sorry." She took the cigarette out of her mouth and gave them a pointed look, waiting for an answer.

"I suppose… there's nothing wrong with it. It's just heartbreaking to see a-"

"Shut up, Suoh." Tamaki started to wither and Kuri backed away. "And don't you _dare_ start cultivating mushrooms, you moron. I'm allergic - remember last time?"

"Last time?" Kyouya asked, the barest hint of a smirk on his face.

"Yeah, the last time I met Tamaki, he started growing those mushrooms in my closet and I almost died from an allergic reaction!" Kuri scowled at him.

"You tore Kuma-chan's ear off!"

"It's a stupid teddy bear! It was staring at me with its beady eyes!"

"He never did like you!"

"Well obviously! He's a stuffed bear, he has no mental capacity!"

Kyouya cleared his throat loudly and the two fell silent.

Kuri crossed her arms and glared at Tamaki. "I still think I'm right.

Tamaki copied her pose, then stuck out his tongue at her. The girl's face twisted into a wry smile. "Fine, all is forgiven, and I'm sorry for messing with your stupid teddy bear."

"You're forgiven as well." Tamaki bowed theatrically.

"I'm no longer confused as to how the two of you became friends," the Ootori remarked, and Kuri turned to him.

"Yeah, yeah, really funny. Now, I have a favor to ask of you that I almost forgot, but whatever, right? So, I have two older brothers. Twins. Back in England. Super overprotective of me. For some reason that I can't understand, they don't trust me to keep myself safe. _Therefore_, they've decreed that I need to find some nice, polite Japanese child to befriend who they'll trust to check up on me. Understand?"

"And you'd like me to do that for you?"

"Why not me, Kuri?"

"Because no one with a brain would trust you with this sort of responsibility, Suoh." She caught him around the collar before he could move and warned sternly, "and remember. No mushrooms. I was joking.

"So, Ootori. You'll do it for me or what?" Kyouya hesitated, and Kuri rolled her eyes. "They'll pay you."

The other man smirked. "Well, how hard can it be to look after you, really?"

Kuri returned the grin. "Oh, you have no idea what you just got into."

**A/N: Hey readers. I'm back. Hope you enjoy my new version of Kuri. :D**

**Till next time, her Majesty, the Queen, Violet ^_^**


	2. Chapter 2

**Warning: rated for drug use and swearing.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Ouran and receive no profit from this fanfiction.**

"So. My apartment. I need an epic fanfare for it or something." Kuri unlocked the door and stepped in, slipping off her Converse. "I'll get a key for you too, eventually. If I remember."

Kyouya followed and glanced around the main room. It was a rather large living/dining room painted a light blue. To the left of the doorway were a couple of black leather couches arranged elegantly around a chrome fireplace. A guitar was mounted on the opposite wall, along with many posters and a large blackboard. Kuri was currently standing in front of the board, squeezing in a note to herself in brightly colored chalk amongst the other balloons and doodles that were filling the space. To the right was an silver dining set for four people, continuing the chrome theme throughout the room. An opened can of coke sat on the table, along with a laptop and several books. Kyouya frowned as he stepped into the apartment, narrowly avoiding a large beanbag.

"Something wrong, Ootori?" Kuri asked, glancing over her shoulder.

"Miss Masachika… where's your kitchen?"

"I don't have one." Kuri began coloring in some of the other drawings on the board.

"And how do you eat?"

"Microwave in my bedroom. Which, by the way, you're not allowed to go in."

"I'm supposed to check on you?"

"Everywhere but there. My bedroom is my place. Don't even try to argue. Anyway, you don't want to let me near a stove. It'll most likely blow up. Kitchens generally tend to hate me."

"Kitchens are inanimate, Miss Masachika."

"Doesn't mean that'll stop them from trying to kill me." Kuri meandered over to the table. Pausing in front of her laptop, she wiped her hands on her jeans, leaving stripes of neon chalk dust down her legs. Sitting down at the chair, she unlocked the computer quickly and opened up a browser. "Email?"

Kyouya provided it and she quickly sent off a message to him. "So now you have mine, and my brothers' AIM. They'll wanna check with you over AIM. Probably video chat with you, just to make sure you look upstanding and aren't a sleaze."

"You'd choose a sleaze?"

"Uh, yeah. If I didn't know what my brothers were like, I'd get some kid off the streets and pay him to chat with them and pretend to be responsible. How-ev-er… I'm too smart for that. So." Kuri propped her legs up on the table and gestured to the chair next to her. "Sit down. This chick, Haruhi. What's she like?"

"Intelligent. Blunt. Deadpan." Kyouya slid into the seat. "Why do you ask?"

"Suoh was a friend. It's important, I guess. I mean, she sounds like a good person for him. Imagine if he found someone as flighty as he was. The world would be screwed."

"I can't argue with that."

"No, you can't. But opposites attract, right? Apparently. It'd be fun, y'know, to figure out whether people would rather go for someone who's their opposite or for someone who's their clone. Don't you think?"

"Fun? Perhaps."

"Yeah, well, you're a business kid. I'm into more floaty things. Do you get what I'm saying? Like the human psyche. Or, I don't know, the arts."

"Yet, you're enrolled in my business classes."

"Stupid brothers have forced me to go into management. Apparently, they _need_ me to create a business and take over the world." She scoffed bitterly, her lips curling into a cynical smile. "Unfortunately, they're convincing enough that I've accepted."

"The Masachikas don't have a business, then?"

"Like I said, we just toy with the stock market. You're not going to find Masachika products anywhere." Kuri fell silent.

Kyouya watched her, then slowly began to speak, diverting the subject. "You don't have a TV?"

"Ew. I hate TV. You know why? Advertisements. _Hate_ advertisements. Stupid things. You speak English well for a Jap. I mean, for a Jap raised in Japan."

Deciding not to remark on her remarkably unsubtle changing of the subject, Kyouya shrugged. "I don't mean to be conceited, but I'm rather good at picking up languages."

Kuri nodded slowly. "Ah. I see. So, how many do you know?"

"German, Japanese, and English."

"Same, except French, not German." She wrinkled her nose. "Why d'you know German?"

"Why do you know French?"

"I was taught in an English prep school . What's your excuse?"

"I was interested in the language. You were raised in Britain, then?"

"Uh, more specifically, England." Kyouya stared at her and she returned the even gaze. "Don't tell me that you don't know the difference."

"I'm unsure of the difference."

"Shut up." Kuri tapped a few keys on the laptop, then turned it to face Kyouya. An image of two islands were on the screen, and Kuri pointed to the one on the right. "This is Britain. The other island is Ireland. Britain is made up of Scotland, Wales, and England. Britain along with this part of Ireland-" she moved her finger to the northern part of the island "- is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland."

"Ulster, correct?"

"Don't call it Ulster. Only Irish people call it that. It's Northern Ireland."

Kyouya gave her an amused look. "You're very nationalistic."

"No one is more nationalist than I am." Kuri abruptly slammed the laptop closed and stood up on her chair. "God save our gracious Queen, long live our noble Queen, God save the Queen!" she began to sing loudly, passably in tune.

"Your neighbors are going to complain," Kyouya said dryly.

"Spoilsport. Let them complain. Nothing can contain this love for my country!" Kuri slapped a hand on her heart, then winced. "Ow…"

"Serves you right."

"You're a mean person, Ootori." Kuri sat down again, this time on the table, winding her legs around the back of the chair.

"Just logical."

"_Just logical_," she mocked. "You hungry?" He gave her a look and she shrugged. "Well, my mum always taught me good manners. I'm supposed to ask."

"Alright… what can you make?"

"Nothing. You're on your own. Want some tea?"

"Can you make tea?"

"I'm offended. I'm a citizen of the UK. Of course I can make tea."

"Of the UK?"

"The United Kingdom is the country. You don't have a 'Scottish' or 'English' passport. So I'm a citizen of the United Kingdom."

"That's far more complicated than it should be."

"Shut up. That's how it is." Kuri slipped off the table and headed into her bedroom, ordering "wait right there, Ootori" over her shoulder. She emerged in a few minutes, carrying two mugs and setting one in front of Kyouya.

"That was quick."

"The best instant coffee in the world. Trust me, it's awesome."

He glanced up at her and raised his eyebrows, immediately noticing the baseball cap perched on her head, slightly askew. "And the hat?"

"It's a hat. What more is there to say?"

"Why are you wearing it?"

"Because I love hats. Hats are wonderful. Almost as wonderful as fans."

"Fans." The skepticism in his voice was clear.

"You know, hand fans? From 17th and 18th century England?"

Kyouya's mind raced as she waved her hand in front of her face, mimicking the said object.

Why would she adore fans from England when hand fans originated in _Japan?_

_Why would she be so fixated on the English side of things when she herself is half Japanese?_

"Miss Masachika…" he started slowly, "do you know the Japanese national anthem?"

She shrugged. "What sort of subject change was that? Fans are much more important than the Japanese national anthem. I have a really pretty one with white lace fringe."

"Funny," he said, following her preferred subject, "I never thought of you as the type to be intrigued by 'pretty' things."

"You haven't even known me for a day yet. How can you make assumptions like that?"

"Look at what you're wearing, Miss Masachika."

"Uh, don't hate on the jacket. This jacket is beautiful. You're envious." She hugged the obviously too large leather jacket closer to herself as she took a sip of her tea.

"I wasn't specifically pointing out your jacket. Now I have no choice but to ask why you were so defensive."

"None of your business. I just love this jacket."

"None of my business?"

"That's right. None of-" Kuri trailed off as a loud ringtone started blaring throughout the house.

_So one two three, take my hand and come with me,_

_Because you look so fine and I really wanna make you mine!_

"Shit," Kuri swore, lunging towards the blue couches to snatch up her phone from the couch cushion. She sent a threatening look towards Kyouya's amused face and put the phone to her ear, perching on the top of the couch. "Hey, hey, bad time to call, who is it?"

She paused, then her eyes flicked to Kyouya's face. "… Yeah … Showing him my place… what's your problem? … no, no shut up. Aidan- Aidan, listen to- No, Aidan, he's not my boyfriend- shut up, Aidan- Aidan, give the damn phone to Avery. Aidan- Aidan… Oh, hey Avery.

"What's up? … Yes… yes… _yes._ No- wait- listen, you can stop calling me, I'm alright, okay? … I love you too. Yes, I'm brushing my teeth. Yes, I'm eating well." She shifted guiltily. "No, I'm not wearing the jacket. Au revoir." She hung up and threw her phone nonchalantly at the couch. It landed on one of the cushions as she stepped back towards Kyouya. "Sorry about that."

"And they were…?"

"Older brothers. Aidan and Avery. They're twins." She sunk back into her chair and propped her feet up on the table. "Don't tell 'em I'm wearing this."

"Why would they care?"

"Oh, look, where are we wandering? We're wandering into the off limits zone. Let's leave. Do you have a middle name?"

"Fine, I understand. Anyhow… I'm more interested in the ringtone."

"Neh." Kuri covered her face with her hands. "Forget about that."

There was a silence, then Kuri sighed and continued. "It's one of my favorite songs. Australian rock band called Jet. They're the bomb."

"You're into that sort of music?"

"Um, I'm into most music." She toyed with the brim of her cap. "Like, anything. Name a song and I've most probably listened to it and have an opinion on it. Done with the interrogation?"

"Just wanted to know. If I'm going to be 'checking on you', I'll need to know what's out of the ordinary, hmm?"

"You make a good point. Doesn't mean I have to agree, but it's a good point, nonetheless." She drank more of her tea, sighing as she set the mug down. "Mmm. I need to go into town later."

"For?"

"Don't tell me you're going to escort me there. You _have_ to have better things to do with your time." Kyouya raised his eyebrows and she sighed, irritated. "Clothes. Food. Fans. Music. Happy?"

"I'll come with you."

"Fine." She drew out the word, rolling her eyes. "So, that's me. You can go home and do homework now like a good boy. Here, keep this for now." She tossed her key at him and he caught it.

"And how will you get into the house, Miss Masachika?"

"There're these things, Ootori. They're called _bobby pins_." She gave him an evil grin. "Or if it comes down to it, I can always use a credit card. Tricky, fiddly, but possible."

**A/N: Her ringtone is Are You Gonna Be My Girl by Jet - a song that I do not own, but love very dearly. :D**

**Till next time, her Majesty, the Queen, Violet ^_^**


	3. Chapter 3

Kyouya groaned, pulling himself from his sleep as his phone blared. Cracking his eyes open, he faintly registered that the time was 11:30 in the morning before putting his phone to his ear and blearily muttering, "Ootori."

"Huh. You guys were right, he's _not_ awake."

"Miss Masachika. I don't know who you're talking to right now, but I'm sure that they did not tell you of my wrath when I'm woken up too early in the morning. If they did, then you are an incredibly moronic person and you should develop the skills to listen to another person's warnings. If you call me again after I hang up on you, I will not hesitate to murder you. Good bye."

Sure enough, as soon as Kyouya hung up, his phone rang again.

"Why the hell would you call again?"

"Cause that's the funniest shit I've ever heard in my life. Do it again, do it again!" Kuri cheered childishly. Kyouya growled threateningly and she snorted. "Don't you care where I am right now?"

A small part of Kyouya's mind insisted that it was _very_ important to know where she was. "Tell me," he said, his words slurred by sleep.

"In the middle of a shopping center in Boston. It's very nice."

Kyouya snapped awake, fumbling for his glasses. "I told you that I'd come with you," he said shortly into the phone as he got out of bed.

"But you didn't show up and I was bored, so I went by myself. And guess who I met?"

"Hey Kyouya."

"What's up?"

Kyouya swore under his breath as he heard the Hitachiins' voices through the phone. "I'll be there," he muttered before hanging up again.

* * *

><p>"Dude. Ootori is <em>really<em> unfriendly. Like, _really_. How did you guys even make friends with him?"

"Tamaki," the twins answered, shrugging.

"How did you guys make friends with Suoh, for that matter?"

"How did you?" Kaoru asked, grinning.

"Um, my family was working with his, so we ended up meeting. Like, I was dropped off at his house in France to strengthen relationships between our families."

"Still, I'm confused how you actually became his friend." Hikaru put an arm around Kuri's shoulder. "He's _Tamaki_."

"Uh... So we hated each other at first, and then he was carrying around Kuma-chan, and then there was the mushroom incident, and then he played with me when I was sick, and then there was an instant connection!" She stopped walking and struck a dramatic pose, then laughed harshly. "And then we were friends forever. And then I didn't see him again."

"Wow. If it wasn't for Haruhi, I'd say you two were star-crossed."

"_Huh_. That's funny. Don't even say that." She snorted. "Haruhi sounds much better for him than I'd ever be. And we are _not_ pursuing that line of conversation, thank you very much boys, have a nice day."

"Whoa. Okay, okay!" Hikaru and Kaoru immediately backed away, holding their hands up in some pretense of innocence. "We weren't trying to pry. Goodness."

"Goodness? Who says 'goodness'?"

"We do!" Hikaru protested indignantly.

Kuri scoffed. "Is that some kinda 'rich boy' thing?"

"We resent that," They said flatly in unison.

"Aren't you a 'rich kid' too?" Kaoru pointed out.

Kuri held out a hand and shook it a little. "…ish."

"Ish?"

"I'm sort of a rich kid. Ish."

"How can you be sort of a rich kid?"

"Um… well… You have rich parents. Right? And then you don't have rich parents. So you have both experiences, right? And I'm not making sense."

"Yeah, I agree on that last one," Hikaru said bluntly. "So where do you wanna go?"

"Um… hey, look! Shoe store!" Kuri pointed to the building. "Let's go, I need a good pair of sexy boots."

"Sexy boots?" Kaoru asked, chuckling.

"Uh, duh. I need to mess with Kyouya more. Let's see if he likes long legs."

"You are one cool chick," the two said in unison.

She grinned mischievously. "I try my best, boys. Now, c'mon." She stepped in through the revolving door and the twins followed her.

A teenage boy with an overabundance of freckles approached them. With a cough, he started the typical greeting that salespeople always gave customers. "Hi, welcome to our store, can I help-"

"Boots. I need boots. To be specific, a pair of black knee high motorcycle boots. They can be men's or women's. In a size 7 ½. 6 if you only have men's."

The boy stared at Kuri. The twins leaned over her shoulder and snapped in his face.

"Hey, we need 'em _pronto. _Aka, fast."

"Ri-ight…" the salesman rushed off, to return with a huge box, handing it to Kuri. She immediately shrugged off her jeans, much to the shock of the three boys standing beside her.

"Kuri-!" Kaoru yelped, covering his eyes with his hand as his twin did the same.

"Calm yourself, I'm wearing gym shorts underneath. How else am I going to know how the boots look on my legs?" Kuri sat on the floor, pulling on the huge boots. "And anyhow, all three of you are teenage guys. You're telling me you've never thought about seeing a girl's legs?"

"Yeah, but- thinking and seeing are two different things!" Hikaru spluttered.

Kuri shrugged, getting to her feet and turning in front of the mirror. "Whatever you say. These boots are gorgeous. And they add on, like, 3 inches."

"What do you mean?"

"Height. Height's important. I'm way shorter than Ootori. It drives me crazy. I'll get these, thanks."

"Dude… you have a cool accent. Where're you from?" the boy asked, taking the boots from Kuri as she hopped out of them.

"Latvia. Where's the counter?"

"Dude. Cool. It's right over here." He headed towards the counter, slipping behind to enter information into the cash register.

"_You're not from Latvia, are you?_" the twins asked, lapsing into Japanese.

"_Hell no. England. Can't help it if he's an idiot._" Kuri shrugged.

"That'll be 328 dollars."

"Awesome. Here you go." Kuri passed him a credit card and he swiped it, albeit slightly confused.

"So, you're rich, huh?"

"No, my brothers are."

"_Isn't that the same thing?" _Kaoru asked. Kuri gave him a look.

"_No. It's _very_ different._" The boy finally handed over the boots and she took them happily. "Thanks. Have a nice day or whatever."

As they exited the shop, Kaoru spoke again. "You're really weird, you know that?"

"Yeah, I do. I get that a lot, actually. Let's go this way, there's a park over there." Kuri began leading them down the sidewalk.

"That isn't surprising. I mean, the fact that you get that a lot," Hikaru pointed out.

"I dunno. It's better than 'you're a bad influence' or 'you're a troublemaker'. Actually, no. I think I like being called a troublemaker." She grinned mischievously.

"What- you like getting into trouble?"

"Yeah. Running from bobbies is the best." At their blank looks, she added on, "police. Bobbies are policemen. Why don't you know that?"

"English is hard enough without all the slang words."

"Excuses, excuses. Anyway, I like the adrenaline rush of getting in trouble. If I'm good at anything at all, it's running away. School- eh. Doesn't quite cut it. Detention is boring as hell."

"So you'd rather get arrested than get detention?"

"No. I'd rather be _threatened_ with being arrested than threatened with getting detention. Very different." She turned to duck under an arbor, the twins following her into the small park. Kuri immediately climbed up onto one of the stone walls that bordered a flower garden, setting her purchase beside her. "I'd give it about one more minute, by the way."

"Give what about one more minute?" Kaoru asked.

"You'll see. Hmm…. Fifty seconds, now."

"You're not making sense again."

"I will be making sense if you'd just wait. Impatient." She stood on her tiptoes, trying to see the road from where the three of them were.

". . . How much time left now?"

"Honestly, you two. You're such brats. _Are we there yet, are we there yet?_" She checked her watch. "About thirty seconds. Give or take a few."

"How much do we have to pay you to get you to tell us?"

Kuri gave them a level glare. "Have you ever heard of delayed gratification?" They shrugged, and she sighed. "If I gave you a car, and said – if you wait for a year without driving it, I'd get you a- I dunno, tickets to all the best design conventions as well…"

"We'd drive the car anyway," Hikaru cut over her.

"We can always get tickets anyway. We're _Hitachiins_."

"Why am I not surprised?" She finished dryly. "Rich kids usually suck at delayed gratification. Five seconds, by the way."

"Suppose we can't bribe her now," the twins agreed.

"Hello, Miss Masachika."

"And there he is, gentleman and gentleman!" Kuri put on her best announcer's voice and gestured dramatically to the person who had just approached them. "Kyouya Ootori!"

"Very amusing, Miss Masachika."

"Kuri, thanks. Or do I have to punch you to make it clear?" She hopped off the high wall, grinning cheekily. "Are you angry? It's just that I had a feminine urge to shop and I couldn't resist myself. And I didn't want to wake you up. That'd be rude."

"And she's the epitome of polite." Kaoru smirked.

You know that, right, Kyouya?" Hikaru asked innocently.

"Did you have to meet them?" Kyouya asked Kuri, ignoring the twins.

"Oi. You don't have control over my life. I can meet whomever I'd like."

There was a silence, then Hikaru asked, astonished—

"Kuri. Did you just say… whomever?"

"Oh, piss off!" she snapped, trying to hide her amusement. "Just because I'm me doesn't mean I can't have good grammar."

"There." Kaoru grinned. "That's the good ol' Kuri we know and love. Keep on being angry. If you actually got polite, I don't think any of us would know what to do."

"Right. I value your advice, boys," she replied dryly. "C'mon, Ootori. I bought what I want. Let's head back." She picked up her box and headed towards the arbor.

"What did she buy?" Kyouya quietly asked the twins. They grinned wickedly.

"That's for us to know -"

"- and you to find out."

**A/N: Yes, there are 328 dollar boots out there. And they're _gorgeous_. Sorry for the late update. I'm trying to actually plan this story as I go along. Let's see how this works out...!**

**Till next time, her Majesty, the Queen, Violet ^_^**


	4. Chapter 4

Kuri Masachika, Kyouya mused, was a terribly confusing person.

In fact, though she was much more level-headed, there was a possibility that she was on the same level of 'confusing' as Tamaki.

She was entirely unpredictable, and she knew it. It was as if her life was a game of chess, and he had unwittingly offered to be her opponent. Pawn to E-4 – and the two had met. Knight to F-3 – and she was ready to bewilder him with her high-stakes game of conversation. Bishop to B-5, and then to B-3 – she promptly pulled back, tactfully or otherwise, when Kyouya overstepped her unnamed boundaries. She would ramble on and on about her three brothers, advancing further and further as she questioned the Ootori on his family and school life. But as soon as Kyouya mentioned her past, she would back off, pulling all her pieces back into safety. Even from the beginning, she had castled her King, keeping it heavily protected and untouched. No one would have access to that information unless she herself permitted it.

She didn't seem to play this intricate game with anyone else. As soon as Tamaki entered the room, or Kaoru called, all of her walls went up. It was a slight change, but obvious to the observant youngest son. She calmly set the barriers, not pressing, but not budging either. In fact, her chats with the other Hosts never seemed to run deep at all. The questions she asked them were superficial, barely scratching at the tip of the iceberg.

"So, Ootori. Got a girlfriend?"

No, she kept the bombshell questions for him.

The two of them were sitting across from each other, playing a game of checkers. Kyouya pushed his piece to the end of the board, with a quiet, "King me."

"Yeah, yeah. I asked a question."

"I'm a host. What do you think, Miss Masachika?"

"I'm thinking that you've been asked out a bajillion times."

"That's… exaggerated."

"You're a host. You've got to have dated _someone_." Kuri attempted to steal one of her pieces back without Kyouya noticing. Kyouya promptly batted her hand away as he went on.

"Actually – don't cheat, Miss Masachika – I have never been attached to anyone romantically."

"Really? Huh." The girl pondered – then her eyes lit up and she hopped over seven of Kyouya's pieces, arriving at the end of the board. "King me, king me!"

Kyouya sighed. "You went the wrong way, Miss Masachika."

A silence fell as Kuri settled back down into her seat, biting her lip. "I knew that." Another long pause and she got up, stretching. "Anyway, this is a dumb game. I would've beaten you anyway."

"By that logic, you could beat me at anything," Kyouya commented wryly, getting up as well.

"Exactly. Why do you think I use it?" She padded over to a mini-fridge she kept in a corner of her room and opened it, pulling out a can of Coco-Cola. "You want anything to drink?"

"Just water, thank you." Kyouya watched her carefully, reaching his hand out to catch the bottle of water that flew his way. Kuri straightened, obviously amused. The first time he has asked for a drink, his carton of orange juice had bounced off the side of his head. The girl had danced around the room gleefully, crowing that she had 'beaned' him as he sullenly tried to figure out where exactly to poke the plastic straw.

Kuri hoisted herself up onto the table, sipping at her Coke. "So, you've never had a crush on someone before."

"No. Why is that so hard for you to believe?"

"Even _I've_ crushed on someone before." Kuri quickly continued without even registering his raised eyebrow. "Viggo Mortensen, long story, but still. It counts."

"There is no profit in giving your love to someone who will not return it."

The girl stared at him. "Don't tell me Aragorn doesn't love me."

"Miss Masachika… Aragorn is fictional."

"Aragorn is dead sexy, that's what he is. I don't know what's wrong with you." Kuri pointed to her closed laptop. "I have all the movies downloaded on there. That's how awesome he is. Not to mention Orlando Bloom. _All_ the movies, man. Including all the special features and everything."

"Legally?"

"D'you think, 'legally'?"

"No, then. Shouldn't I technically report this to your brothers?"

"But you won't, so it doesn't matter. Man, I didn't think you'd be such a pushover, honestly."

Little did Kuri know that Kyouya _did_ keep her elder brothers up to date on every escapade she planned and all the trouble she managed to land herself in. And that was a very long list of things to tell the Masachikas indeed. The girl seemed to have an affinity for troublemaking, a natural talent for getting herself into sticky situations. She claimed to adore the adrenaline rush of running from authority; how much of this was a stupid ploy to get attention, Kyouya couldn't fathom.

The twins seemed to understand, wincing sympathetically as he recited Kuri's antics to them. Back in England, it looked as if she'd gotten into even more problems, by the way the two heaved a sigh of relief at the end of every session. Aidan was undoubtedly the more dramatic of the two, overenthusiastically thanking Kyouya every chance he got for taking care of his darling sister.

Kyouya hated to think what would happen if Aidan happened to meet Tamaki.

On the other hand, Avery was much more down-to-earth, a hard-working man who answered the video chats every day with tired eyes and a small smile. Kuri had told Kyouya once before about Avery's tendency to overwork himself. A small crease had appeared in her forehead as she recounted several times when she'd found him asleep in the most bizarre places. And then, with a little forced laugh, she had diverted the conversation to colors, and Kyouya hadn't found a chance to gently nudge her back to the topic again.

"Oi. Earth to Ootori." Kuri snapped loudly from where she was sitting.

"I'm sorry," Kyouya immediately replied, turning towards her. "Did you say something?"

"Did I say something, he asks. Of course I said something." Kuri rolled her eyes, tapping on the keys of her now open laptop. "I'm buying tickets for a concert. You wanna come with?"

"Would you rather I did?"

"No one should say no to a Jet concert. That's what I think." She took a long drink of her Coke, finishing the can and tossing it in a recycling bin.

"When is it?"

"Like, four months from now. Yes or no, man? I don't want to book the tickets too late, now." Kyouya hesitated and she pressed further. "C'mon! This is going to be wicked. Nic Cester – my god, he's a genius." She grinned, and Kyouya smiled back at her superficially. "Is that a yes?"

"I'm afraid I'll have to politely decline, Miss Masachika. Be sure to tell me how it goes."

"Nyeh. You're no fun. I thought you were supposed to come with me everywhere. You took this so seriously, remember?" It was obviously a ploy by her to get him to join her. He sighed.

"I do have things to do besides checking on you, Miss Masachika. I hope you realize that." It wasn't as if the two were particularly close.

"- Of course I realize that. I'm not stupid, Ootori."

It was a quick reply. Flippant, blunt. There was no reason for Kyouya to suspect anything behind it. But there had been that moment of hesitation before the sentence had come. There had been a moment where her mask had slipped, and she had blustered, trying to pick up the pieces. It had only been for a moment, but that was enough.

Her quick cover up showed it had been a mistake. She didn't mean to show him- something. She was hiding something or another behind that outgoing, ridiculous, confusing exterior. But what?

Though she tended to ramble on and on, he really didn't know much about her. The Masachika family name? Was something she professed that she didn't care much about. Her brothers? Worked hard, but she never mentioned why, or who they worked for. Her parents were off-limits, as was her past. Yet, she managed to keep a conversation going for hours on end, without revealing anything quite significant about herself.

And with that slip-up, she had revealed a glimpse of something significant, something important. They both knew it – Kyouya hadn't broken eye contact, and Kuri was fiddling with the edge of her sleeve. Finally, she raised a hand in a small gesture.

"Whatever. I have a history paper due soon." She walked away from the table over to the couches, picking up a thick book.

"What is it on?" he asked, asking the polite question without realizing it.

"Do you honestly care?" she challenged, raising her eyebrows. They stared at each other again. Queen to B4. It was a bold move, and she knew it. Her shoulders were tense, and her eyes were shining.

And Kyouya, instead of taking the bait, moved himself out of danger. "I would not have asked you if I didn't mean it, Miss Masachika."

"I doubt that. Good evening, Ootori." And there was that odd, polite tone again, one that didn't seem to fit her at all. That, also, he realized, was a layer to her – another line of defense to keep out invaders. True, it was an obvious one. But he had to commend her. In the few weeks he had spent with her, she had only reached this guarded level of vulnerability once.

So he decided to acquiesce to her request, moving towards the door with a quiet nod. There was another silence, then Kuri broke one last time.

"I wanna meet this Haruhi chick. Take me to her tomorrow."

And even though he had made it clear earlier that he was merely doing her a favor, and had no stronger ties to her, he nodded again, agreeing to her demand.

After all, Kuri was a strange, unpredictable girl as it was. There was no need to pry until he knew exactly what he was up against.

At least, that's what he'd say to himself. The truth, though he didn't know it, was simple.

He didn't want to see that lost look in her eyes ever again, even if it was only for a moment.


	5. Chapter 5

A week passed. Their chess game seemed to have come to a halt. All the pieces had been pulled away besides his king, her king, and her knight. Stalemate. She behaved well, surprisingly well, almost frighteningly well. Her sudden goodness seemed like a ploy, to convince Kyouya that he didn't have to worry. She was pushing him away expertly, and he couldn't find a motivation or reason to reach back out to her.

He _wanted_ to. That was the odd, yet undeniable truth. He couldn't help being slightly intrigued, slightly confused. She was a whirlwind of happiness and sadness and apathy and too many emotions and truth and lies. For all her teasing and poking fun at Tamaki, she was ridiculously similar to him; and at the same time, not at all.

However, just wanting something wasn't a good reason to go out and get it. So he let her be. Although per her request, he had taken her to visit Haruhi as soon as he found a time when Tamaki would be out of the room. He found it odd, how she refused to learn how to drive, but he didn't argue. He had quickly learned that arguing never worked with her.

"Here you go, Miss Masachika." Kyouya paused in front of the apartment door, holding his umbrella carefully over her head as well.

"Thank, Ootori. I don't need you for anything else anymore." Her words were harsh, blunt, and surprisingly didn't carry any of the amusement that she usually had.

"Miss— Kuri."

She stared up at him, eyes wide, then crossed her arms tight across her chest. "Huh. All this asking, Ootori, and now I don't know what to do when you do call me by my name. Kyouya."

They looked at each other for a few moments, then Kuri shook her head. "I'll… go now."

"Of course. Do enjoy yourself." Kyouya cleared his throat. "Will you require me to pick you up?"

"I… yeah. I'll call you." She hesitated, then stepped out from underneath the umbrella's protection, pulling her leather jacket closer to her. With a brisk knock at the door, she glanced back at the tall man for one last moment. "Well? Piss off."

He obliged softly, thoroughly missing the fact that she stared after him as he went. That is, until the door opened.

"Kuri Masachika," she introduced promptly, turning back to the girl and shaking her hand. "Your boyfriend is crazy."

"Tell me about it," the brunette responded dryly. "Come on in."

Haruhi waved Kuri into her apartment, pausing to pet Antoinette as she went to the kitchenette. The usually hyperactive dog nosed at her hand, then padded away into the apartment. Antoinette seemed to calm down to a ridiculous extent whenever Kuri visited. Tamaki had marveled over it before, but Kuri had taken no notice, as usual.

"Do you want anything to drink?"

"Nah, I'm good. Thanks, though." The girl sat down on the armrest of the sofa, sticking her hands in her pockets. "So. You, four guys, friends since the first year of high school. How did _that_ happen?"

"Six, actually."

"You met them in your _sixth_ year of high school? And here I thought you were the scholarship kid," Kuri teased.

"I met six guys," Haruhi clarified in a deadpan.

"So what's the whole story behind that? Like, I know that you were part of some Host Club or something…?"

"I… knocked over a vase."

Kuri stared at her. "How does dumping their favorite flowers on the floor have to do with anything?"

"The vase didn't have flowers in it. It was meant to be sold in an auction."

"Oh man. For an ton of money, I'm guessing?"

"Unfortunately. Then… There was the whole thing where Tamaki thought I was a boy. And forced me to join the Host Club until I repaid the debt. And then he found out I was a girl."

"He's an idiot."

"He is." The girl nodded in agreement, running her hand through her hair.

"But… why did you stick with them?"

"Because I had to repay them. Trust me, I'd have never come back after the first day if I hadn't knocked over that vace."

"Were they really that bad?"

"Worse." Haruhi took a seat, gesturing at the couch, but Kuri shook her head, obstinately remaining seated on the armrest. "What's your story, then?"

"… my story?

"How did you meet Tamaki?"

"Oh, right. Um, well… it started out when our parents wanted to make a business deal. I don't really know what it was about, but yeah. They wanted to strengthen relations between our family and the Suohs. So they shipped me over to France to become friends with Tamaki. I was the closest to his age in my family, and I was the most rambunctious, surprisingly enough.

"So I went over to France and I met him, and he was this bubbly little kid. Absolutely ridiculous. And I spent a few weeks there. Um, by the way, they have some god-awful food in France. Just to let you know in advance for the honeymoon."

"Kuri." Haruhi gave her a level glare. "Go on."

"Fine, fine, I'm just saying! Geez, you try to be helpful…" The tall girl trailed off, then continued with the story. "Um, so, we got into this fight. I can't even remember what it was about, but it was a kid-ish fight, you know? Where you just get all harrumphy at each other over some little thing. And I tore off his teddy bear's ear. Just like that. I was a vicious child, yeah.

"At that point, he started wailing all over the place and went over to corner of woe or whatever and started cultivating, like, mushrooms. And I'm allergic. I ended up in the hospital with an allergic reaction. I will hold that against him for the rest of my life – even though his family paid my hospital bill."

"You're such a kind person, Kuri."

"Shut up. You're the one who asked about the story."

"Fine, go on."

"So there I was in a hospital bed, and to make a long story short, he apologized and hung out with me for the rest of the time that I was stuck in there. And we were best friends, until I went to England and never saw him again in my life. Till now, that is." She trailed off, staring at the floor as she pondered. After a moment of quiet, she murmured, "I'm glad, incidentally."

"What?" Haruhi raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"You. You're good for him. Opposites attract and all that." A slight smirk passed over her face. "Tall, short; light hair, dark hair; stupid, not stupid?"

Haruhi blushed, trying to roll her eyes and remain nonchalant. "Stop it."

"I would, but this is really amusing. Like, not going to lie."

"It wouldn't be amusing if you were in my position." The short brunette grumbled, crossing her arms and leaning back against the couch.

"Not like I'm ever going to be in your situation. I mean, be serious." Kuri shrugged, as if the answer was obvious to all those who saw her.

Haruhi, however, remained confused, a definite crease in her brow. "What are you talking about?"

"Look at me, Haruhi. I smoke, I drink, I cuss, I'm arrogant, I'm stubborn… There's no way. I'm not looking to end up with someone, and quite frankly, I prefer being alone in those regards."

A silence fell over the two girls, as Kuri's gaze dropped to her feet and Haruhi's eyes remained calmly trained on her.

"You're selling yourself short, I think." After a moment, the short girl shrugged as well. "But that's just me. What do I know?"

"I'm really honestly _not_ selling myself short. I mean, I do have good qualities. I know that. I'm funny, sometimes, I have a good taste in music, thanks to my mum, and I'm not that bad looking for a mutt. I swear, I realize that. I just… I don't think that my qualities are what any guy's looking for these days. Just… they aren't. And I'm more than okay with that.

"And wow, this conversation got really depressing. On the scale of general happiness, handfans and tea are on one end of the spectrum, and Kuri's love life is on the opposite. That is, if nonexistent things can even be placed on a spectrum." Kuri scoffed, and Haruhi couldn't help but chuckle dryly in agreement.

"Alright, alright. I understand. So how are things with Kyouya, then?"

Kuri raised an eyebrow at the other girl. "S'okay. Why do you ask?"

"Because I can't imagine how the two of you are getting along without one punching the other in the face. Like, actually, to be extremely honest with you. It's very confusing."

The tall girl cracked up at that. "Why would you say that? That's ridiculous. He's a cool man, Ootori. Yeah, he needs to, like, learn the definition of fun and let his hair down sometimes, but besides that…" There was no mention of the little dispute that they were going through at the moment. Haruhi didn't need to be burdened with that.

"I didn't realize Kyouya had hair that he could let down," Haruhi said in a deadpan voice.

"Oh, don't you know? His hair is huge. He has to hide all of his secrets, after all."

"—What?"

Kuri gave her a stare, frowning. "You… don't know that quote?"

Haruhi shook her head and Kuri continued to stare at her for a few moments. Then- "Girl, we are having a movie night together. You need to be introduced to the world of quality movies, okay? And yes, Mean Girls is included in that world." Her lips curved up into a mischievous smile. "Do you think Kyouya would murder me if I tried to force him to watch the movie with us? It's such a chick flick."

"I'm fairly sure that while he might not murder you, it still wouldn't be the best thing to do for your sake."

"Oh, come on. What's the worst he can do?"

"Buy up all the Masachika's stocks." Haruhi rolled her eyes, but Kuri paused, frowning a little at that.

"We don't have stocks. We get our money because we buy other people's stocks. That's all there is to it."

The brunette shrugged. "Hey, I've been going to Ouran for years and I still don't understand how this whole rich and prestigious world actually works."

Kuri was silent for a few more seconds, then mirrored Haruhi's shrug. "Yeah, me neither. Don't even try. It's a dog-eat-dog world out there, trust me. You don't want to get caught up in that unless you have to." And with that, she checked the time on her cellphone. "Hey, it was nice talking to you – but I've got to get going, okay? I have to have the daily phone call with my brothers."

Haruhi nodded. "Yeah, I understand. Thanks for stopping by though. Feel free anytime."

"Of course. Not a problem." Kuri gave her a brief grin, then headed for the door. "Thanks for having me over. I'll eat next time I come, I promise." And with that, she slipped out of the door, the rain pounding even more incessantly on the rooftops. After sending a quick text to Ootori, she began to walk in the direction of her own apartment. Meet the girlfriend, check. Now she'd properly met the majority of them, and she wasn't obligated to meet any more. Good. This whole plan had been faulty, faulty from the start. She didn't need anyone in her life besides her brothers and herself.

And that? Was definite.

**A/N: This is the part where I beg your forgiveness for being gone so long. So. Please forgive me. ****And I hope you enjoy this chapter!**


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